Recovery Starts Today
by Carlafanx
Summary: A different take on 29th September 2011 when Carla overdosed.


The phone call just sounded different, it wasn't her usual self-loathing phone calls where she's too drunk out of her mind. This meant something else, as if she was finally defeated, like she'd finally given up.

Leanne didn't want him to answer the phone but thank god he did.

Peter had to get there as soon as possible; Leanne didn't like it but he didn't care. This was far more important then one of her strops.

"Peter! She is not your problem! Don't you dare leave me." Leanne warned, giving her husband an icy glare.

She had finally had enough of all of Carla's drama's regarding Peter. Why should she care for the woman? Not only has she attempted to steal her man but she was behind the wheel of the car that hit her mother. There was no sympathy for her; whatever had happened, she could deal with it herself.

"I'm sorry but...have you missed something? She's in danger, Lee!" He shouted and grabbed his leather jacket to leave the flat above the Bookies.

"If you leave now then it's over, Peter. Stop choosing her over me!"

"I'm sorry. She needs me." He sighed.

* * *

Peter swiftly rushed down the stairs and made his way to Carla's flat. Upon arrival, the ambulance crew had already managed to get into the flat and that's when he saw her.

She lay, motionless, on the floor.

She looked so small, so vulnerable.

He wanted to run up to her and make her better. Or even so, hold her in his arms and tell her everything was okay.

But he couldn't.

His breath hitched in his throat and he felt a lump forming, for some reason his eyes couldn't leave the poor woman laying on the cold floor in front of him. He willed his legs to move forwards but they felt like they were stuck in place.

Eventually, he walked closer and kneeled onto his knees.

"Oh, Carla darling. Don't leave me now." He whispered, holding her head in his hands.

"Her pulse is very weak." A paramedic told her colleague.

"What? She'll be okay won't she?" His head jerked up, looking into the paramedics eye for the first time since his arrival.

"She's in very bad condition. We need to get her to hospital immediately." She replied.

* * *

Holding her head tightly in the ambulance, he watched the professionals stick needles in her and connect up to all sorts of machines. How had it come to this?

Her complexion was paling, it was grey almost. An oxygen mask was over her nose and mouth and she was hooked up to multiple IV's.

The pad of his thumb gently caressed the soft skin on the top of her hand. He stared intently, hoping to see movement from her fingers even though he had been informed that she was spark out. She had too much drugs running through her bloodstream as well as a high alcohol intake, he knew it was serious and that it could be fatal.

His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing, startling everyone around. He used his other hand to pull it out of his back pocket and rolled his eyes when he saw the name that came up.

_Leanne_.

Not in the mood for another rant, he declined the call and switched his phone off before paying attention to the woman he really loved.

"Do you know if she's getting better?" He croaked.

"It's hard to say right now. Once we're in hospital, we can do tests and determine how severe or not it is. That's all I can say for now." She explained.

"B-but you deal with patients like this a lot though, right? You've seen loads of people who have overdosed. Does she seem in better condition compared to them?" He asked, he wanted to know answers. Any answers to give him an idea on how she was.

"I can only say for Carla..."

"Alright," He exhaled, before stroking Carla's dark hair. "You can fight through this. Don't let him win."

* * *

His leg continuously bounced up and down as he sat in the hospital waiting room.

Carla had been wheeled into the Intensive Care Unit half an hour ago and he had no indication of what was going through in there.

He closed his eyes and tried to suppress the bad thoughts that were so desperately trying to overwhelm him and instead, he tried focusing on what he and Carla could have one day.

Yes, he may be married to Leanne right now but he was kidding himself, he knew Carla was the woman for him.

He thought of all the things they could do together. Maybe they could move away, somewhere abroad. Do everything they've always wanted to do.

"Mr Barlow." A nurse interrupted his thoughts, standing at the door that closed him off from Carla.

He must've been in a day dream for a long time.

"I have an update on your partner." She said.

_Partner_.

"How is she?" He stood up, eyes wide and fearful.

"Fortunately, the drugs didn't do as much damage as we originally had anticipated. She came round earlier and we had to pump her stomach twice to eliminate all the poison in her body so she's very weak and disorientated right now. But she's very lucky, things could've been a lot worse."

"Oh, thank god." He released a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Can I see her?"

"Of course, follow me."

* * *

"Hey." He whispered, seeing Carla laying in the huge hospital bed.

She looked so fragile. The bed she lay is almost consumed her, she looked tiny in comparison and he couldn't help but think that's how she was with life right now. Everything was getting so on top of her, it was eating away at her and it almost succeeded.

"Does everyone know what I did?" She asked, hoarsely.

"No one outside this room, Car." He replied, sitting down and holding her hand.

She flinched before letting him hold it.

"Sorry." She mumbled.

"Don't be sorry. You can't help it." He shook his head.

"N-not just for that," A tear rapidly fell down her cheek. "For everything."

"Love..."

"No, Pe'er. I can't believe I done that." She cried.

"Did you...did you want to, ummm..." He stuttered.

"No," she looked him in the eye. "I didn't want to _die_. I just...I couldn't cope with him in my head constantly. Whenever I closed my eyes, he was there. Whenever I was doing anything, he was there smirking at me and taunting me. I needed to be free of it."

He looked down, his body trembled as she said the word 'die'. It physically hurt him to think of that scenario.

"I get that. Which is why I think you need help, darling."

"Y-yeah. I think you're right." She nodded, breathing out.

"Really?"

"I can't carry on like this. It'll destroy me."

"I think that's very brave of you, love." He smiled, softly.

"_Recovery starts today._" She gulped.

* * *

"Won't Leanne be wondering where you are?" Carla questioned as she lay back, watching Peter stroke her hand.

"Probably," he groaned, pulling his phone out and raising his eyebrows. "Oh god."

_Leanne_

_19 missed calls_

_Leanne:_

_Peter what's going on?_

_Peter?_

_Answer me_

_What's happening with Carla?_

_You better not be ignoring me purposely_

_I can't believe you'd put her before me and your son_

He put his phone back into his pocket and looked up at Carla.

"Do you want me to leave you to rest?" He watched her yawn.

"No, stay."

"That's fine with me. Honestly the amount of worry I've had over you today, I want to stay with you as much as possible."

"I'm sorry for putting you through that." She muttered, staring down at her lap.

"Oh no, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. Stop apologising." He mentally cursed as himself.

"I know what I did today was terrible but tomorrow is a new day and I'm going to change." She said, determined.

"It's a slow process-..."

"I know that but I won't be getting drunk or not eating like I haven't been recently. At least now..." She stuttered. "He...is not walking the streets. I don't have to be scared that he's watching me."

"Good, and you know you have so many people there for you."

"Pff, name me a few."

"Maria-..."

"I snapped at her so she's left."

"Hayley-..."

"She works for me, that's all."

"Michelle-..."

"She's not even in the country."

"Me-..."

"Leanne will have a tantrum if you even look at me, Peter. I can hardly cry on your shoulder when I'm having a moment, can I?" She rolled her eyes.

"Well don't think about her. I care about you."

"I know you do," She smiled. "I feel like you're the only other person who understands how evil he is. Besides Maria obviously but you know what she can be like."

"He makes my blood boil."

"You know, after everything with Maria and the way he was after the Stella incident...I didn't think he was capable of doing anything wrong. Definitely not to that level." She explained, a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"It doesn't matter how much you know someone, they can still surprise you..." Peter reassured her. "It isn't your fault."

"I remember when he pinned me against that door and their was just hate in his eyes. Nothing but pure hatred. And that's when I knew I was in trouble..."

"You don't have to go into it." Tears filled in his eyes.

"No, I can," she wiped a stray tear. "I thought he was going to kill me. It was like...it wasn't him anymore, you know? Gone was the man that I thought loved me unconditionally. He just changed; as if all he was obsessed with now was being dominant and in control over me. I didn't know what he was capable of from that point." She stared ahead before suddenly, collapsing into violent sobs.

Peter stood up from his seat and enveloped her into his strong arms. He softly hushed her and stroked her raven locks, kissing her head repeatedly.

"I will look after you."


End file.
